Needle-feeding device for talking-machines.



No. 739,303. PATENTED 33312.23, 1903.

' E. D.l GLEASON. 3

I NEEDLE FEEDING DEVICE POR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 3o. 1303.l

no komm.

UNITED STATES atented September 22, 1903. i

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD D. GLEASON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.I

NEEDLE-FEEDING DEVICE yFOR TALKING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,303, dated September 22,1903.

Llpplication ilcd January 20, 1902. Serial No. 90,434. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. GLEAsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the cityof Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Feeding Devices for Talkin g-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication.

My invention has relation to certain improvements in talking-machines, and particularly to a device for automatically feeding the needles or stylus-points of a sound-box to their proper position in the stylus-holder.

It is well known to those familiar with talking-machines that the needles or stylus-point wears very quickly, thus necessitating the frequent changing of the point, and this has generally been effected by hand.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic stylus-feeding mechanism having means for ejecting the old point and simultaneously feeding` a new point into operative position. y

With this in View myinvention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts, the novelty of which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims made hereto.

In the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this speciiicatiomand in which simi-` -diate of its length and is also connected at its upper end to the diaphragm 3 of said sound-box in the usual manner. The said stylus-bar is provided with a central bore of 5o a diameter at its upper and lower ends sufiiciently large to admit the stylus 4. The intermediate sectionl of `thisbore is of a slightly smaller diameter thanthe upper and lower section, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The said stylus-bari is provided with the slits 5, diametrieally opposite each other, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

Directly above the stylus-bary l and in a plane therewith is a tubular guide 6, adapted to receive a plunger 7, which extends a distance beyond the upper end pfl said guide and is provided with a knob ory button 8, as shown. The lower end of the guide is provided with a lateral slot 9, into which is fitted a needle-magazine 10, which extends upwardly at an angle to the guide-slot, so that the needles will feed by gravity into the slot 9. A suitable follower', as l1, may be provided in the upper end, of the magazine for facilitating the feed of the needle. The guide 6 hasprovided on its lower end opposite the slot 9 a spring-finger 12, which extends through an opening formed in said guide into the bore of the same and holds the needles at this point until they are released by the action of the plunger 7.

The magazine l() is secured to the plungertube 6 by means of soldering lor otherwise, and the two are supported on the sound-box casing 2 in any suitable manner. A set-screw '14 is threaded into the sound-box casing at a point adjacent to the lower end of thestylus-bar l, the said screw having a projecting head which extends under the end of the stylus-bar in very close relation thereto without touching the same, so that the vibrations of this stylus-bar will not be impeded or interrupted by the said screw. The object of this screw 14E is to prevent the lon gitudinal movement of the stylus-bar during the operation of the plunger, so as to relieve the supporting-spring of the bar from any strain and also prevent the injuring of the connection between the upper end of the stylus-bar and the diaphragm.

In operation the magazine 1Q isiilled with needles having their points extending downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and the said neev IOO into the stylus-bar l, and as it passes through the narrow central bore 1X of the stylus-bar the said bar, which is provided with the slits 5, is forced open, which allows the lower stylus-point 4 to drop out and the new point to assume its proper position. Just as soon as the new point is forced through the reduced intermediate bore of the stylus-bar the said bar will spring together and lirmly hold the new point in its proper position for operation. A coiled spring l5 is interposed on the rod 7 between the upper end of the guide G'and the knob or button on the end of the plunger for returning the saine to normal position after it has been depressed.

l do not wish to confine myself to the exact details as illustrated in the drawings, as various slight changes might. be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat I claim isl. The combina-tion with the sound-box, of a stylus-bar having a central bore adapted to receive and hold a needle in its lower end, a split formed in said stylus-bar, a reduced portion formed in the intermediate portion of the stylus bar bore forming a spreader for said bar and an abutment for the needle, a needlemagazine carried by the'sound-box,and meehanism for feeding' the needles singly into the bore of the stylus -bar, substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination with a sound-box, a stylus-bar carried thereby comprising a split tube, having a bore adapted to receive a needle, a reduced central portion in said bore forming a spreader for said tube and an abutment for the needle, a guide-tube located above the stylus-bar in alinement therewith, a magazine supported by the sound-box casing and connecting with the tubular guide,

means for feeding the needles singly in said guide, and a plunger-rod in said guide-tube adapted when operated to force a needle into the stylus-bar, spreading said bar, and allowing the old needle to drop out and simultaneously replace a new one, substantially as described.

The combination with a sound-box, a stylus-bar carried thereby comprising a split tube having a bore adapted to receive a needle, a reduced central portion in said bore forming a spreader for said tube and an abutment for the needle, a guide-tube located above the stylus-bar in alinement therewith, a magazine supported by the sound-box casing and connecting with the tubular guide, inea-ns for feeding the needles singly in said guide, a plunger-rod in said guide tube for forcing the needle into the stylus-bar, and a stop located adjacent the end of the said stylus-bar for relieving it of strain, during the operation of the plunger.

4. The combination in a sound-box, of a stylus-bar comprising a split tube having a bore sufficient to admit a needle, a reduced intermediate portion in said bore for spreading the tube when the needle is forced therethrough and to form an abutment for said needle, a guide-tube located above the stylusbar in alinement therewith, an inelin ed magazine adapted to hold needles having its lower end entering the guide-tube, a spring-finger for holding a needle in said tube, and a springplunger adapted to the guide tube, for the purpose described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of October', A. D. 1901.

EDVARD D. GLEASON.

Titnesses:

JNO. T. Cnoss, A. E. NrrzsoHE. 

